Making a list for a Nature Hike.

Whenever we go to El Dorado, our local Nature Center, there are a few things we always do. The first is walk along 'The Stepping Stones' at the entrance. 'The Stepping Stones' is a little stone entrance wall. It is a highlight for my kids to balance along it. Mr T thinks he is oh-so-very clever that he can now balance along the whole length without holding my hand. 'In The Beginning', I used try to hurry them along 'The Stepping Stones', eager to get to the hiking part of the walk. But, now that I am a little wiser, I let them get their fill on this beloved attraction... why rush such a fun activity. I sit on the ledge and 'oooh' and 'aaaah' as they walk up and down, down and up. It is a joy to watch their concentration, their daring, their delight in their own agility.

Look at how hard Mr T is concentrating...

So, our 'favourite things' aside, I always try to introduce something 'important' for us to do on our walks. We have looked for shapes in nature, colors in nature. This walk, we made a list of things we wanted to see.

Here is the list...

K set to work enthusiastically, marking off the treasures she found...

A spider was on the list and it was Mr T who spotted this beauty. Look at the view from his kitchen...

We definitely weren't expecting Mr T to find this little guy...

Mr T couldn't believe his luck when this baby lizard happily walked onto T's hand. T proudly showed him off to the rest of us...

K couldn't miss her chance to hold the 'tiniest little lizard we have ever seen in our whole lives' too. She wanted so badly to take him home with us for a pet. I reminded her of the story of 'A Fairy Went A Marketing' and the rule that we can only hold wild creatures for a little while before letting them go back to their mothers and fathers. K dutifully let our baby lizard go home.

I love watching my kids love nature. This photo made me smile as it is so typical... K is sprinting down the hill and Mr T is sprinting behind her, trying to keep up...

As they ran, they 'whooped' in joy, I think a little loudly for this grumpy fellow!

I always feel refreshed and refueled after a hike and my kids and I get on so well for the rest of the day, wish we could live in the woods and be a forest family.

Blessings and magic.